Moonlight GuardRise of the Zodiac
by 5-Tailed Wolf
Summary: The Solar System has another set of warriors. their mission: to protect the souls or innocence and to preserve the future. Meet the Moonlight Guardians as they wage war against evil with the light of the Soul Crystal.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

She felt as though the planet itself was shaking apart. Her hair flew around her, obscuring her vision. The vile demons dared attack her home stood before her, smiling.

She stood with her blades to her sides, her armor in shambles and blood splattered all over. She knew most of her friends were unconscious others unable to fight.

She called to her friends' spirits, begging them for what little they had left to defeat the enemy. Her beloved stood a ways behind her, as their friends sent their energy toward the blue eyed warrior who still fought. Her love closed his green eyes and clung to the bond that linked their souls, giving everything she gave.

A crystal formed, as the energies met, the Soul Crystal.

As the purifying energy engulfed everything around then, the two standing soldiers said their goodbyes.

"where you go, I go."

Once the light faded, the scene of ruin brought tears to the eyes of all who beheld it.

Bodies lay upon the ground, unmoving. Crystalline spheres floated in the air, the souls of those purified, unsure of where to go. Among the orbs stood 10 animals, ghostly silver, looking out across the battlefield. One of the largest, a wolf, walked into the orbs, head held high. Said orbs circled the wolf as if it had its own gravitational pull on them.

The queen emerged from the palace, her white hair cascading freely down her back, with the tips just grazing the ground, as if it was a cape, identical color to her gown. Her young daughter just behind her with wide blue eyes, both watching the scene before them.

The wolf stopped and lifted its muzzle to the stars. From its throat came a sorrowful howl as it mourned the loss of life. Yet after a moment, the howl shifted from deep to high as the orbs floated into the bed of stars above to start a new life elsewhere.

The last orb floated just in front of the wolf, who lowered its head and looked at the golden ball. The wolf huffed and nudged the orb with its nose up to the sky, its tail swaying slowly from side to side as it watched the reluctant thing float toward a new home.

"Sister!"

The wolf turned at the cry, full of pain and heartache. It saw the young princess, her blond hair flying behind her as she ran toward one of the bodies. The silver-blue armor that once encased said body, had given way to a knee length dress of the same color. The helmet resembling the wolf was gone as the unmoving body lay only feet from her beloved, whose body was guarded by a white tiger with sad emerald green eyes.

The princess fell to her knees next to the guardian with brown hair pulled back in two low pony tails held by white ribbons and long bangs that nearly covered her closed eyes unlike her blond princess. Tears flowed from crystal blue eyes of the queen to be as she hugged the limp form of her precious guardian to her, screaming in anguish at the cold feel of the older girl's skin through her royal attire.

The wolf walked up to the princess slowly, causing the few remaining troops to tense until the wolf looked at them, as if daring them to interfere, its gold eyes shifting to silver then to blue.

The queen saw the shift in its eyes and her tears increased 10 fold. She covered her mouth to stifle the sobs that shook her body as the wolf turned back and continued toward to crying princess who gripped the moon guard tighter. The wolf towered over the princess but the girl held the animal's gaze and saw a familiar pattern, the same pattern of light and dark blue her guardian had, before her eyes closed forever.

"Sister." the princess whispered, reaching her small, in comparison, hand toward that wolf's muzzle. The wolf's eyes closed as it growled contently at the young ones touch.

"Sister." the wolf growled, opening its eyes, revealing the soul within the totem. The princess laid that body down and stood before the wolf with the soul of her sister.

She walked around the lifeless body and threw her arms around the spirit's neck, half expecting to fall to the debris strewn ground, insead she felt warm, soft fur and she gripped the animal tightly. The wolf craned her neck around her sister and raised her front paws up to return the embrace trying to soothe the shaking blond's cries.

Unbeknownst to the two, the queen had approached and suddenly knelt down and embraced her daughters.

"My dearest moon flowers, it will be alright." she muttered as she sobbed with them knowing that her eldest was no more.

The other guardians' charges had come out as well and shared the same grief and for a long while all that could be herd were the cries and tears of the solar system.

The queen stared at the faint glow of the Soul Crystal surrounded by the 10 spirit animal totems. She had erected the shrine to preserve and strengthen what little power the guardians had as they sat in a state of suspended animation. She hoped that the souls of the guardians would be at peace as their powers shielded their homes they were sworn to protect.

Little did her majesty know that it would be for not as the future of the kingdoms and queendoms would come to an end from yet another evil.

She laid amongst the ruins of her palace as she watched the spirits of all who perished in the evil queen's attack. Her young daughter and her guardians who were the other planetary princesses, drifted away to be reborn in a future earth. In the distance, as she closed her mortal eyes for the last time, a wolf cried in sorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

"alright kitty, you can speak freely. I won't freak out like she did." Star stared at her as if she grew a second head. "what? You think you're the only one who is from the past?" she said with a smile. "I may be her mom in this life, but I was her trainer millennia ago so speak son of Gia."

Star sat in shock, unable to even twitch the tip of his tail.

"I guess you have your own tongue so I'll talk. My name is Elizabeth and, as I said, I was helen's trainer and mentor while she was a Guardian." She returned to the talbe with a fresh cup of coffee and the milk jug. "now, you ready to talk John?" she asked, taking a sip of her brew and smiling softly at the feline.

"well I suppose the first question is how did you know who she was?" he said hesitantly, expecting the same reaction from her as the girl.

"good story that one, but promise me you won't tell her, ok?" the older woman's eyes took on a serious glint, lacing her fingers together and holding her chin with them. She waited for Star to nod in agreement before continuing. "Well firstly, every few generations I am reborn to renew my search to find the Guardian. My lifespan, each of them, consisted of children either having them personally or just being around them. However in this last cycle I conceived but one daughter, Ann Marie and three sons Howard, Vincent and Richard." She took a sip of her coffee and gauged Star's reaction. He was quietly listening and thinking.

_If she only had one daughter, then how is Helen here?_

"she was adopted, little one. Her parents gave her to me so she could live a better life. She was very, very young." Her eyes went a bit glassy as the memories flooded through her mind's eye. "Her dad and I took her happily, we thought she would be a perfect little girl like her sister. However, after holding her for the first time, I saw a faint glow upon her arm. I waited until I was alone with her and looked, and on her tiny shoulder was the mark I had been searching for; the silver cresent and star." The woman's eyes sparkled and she dropped her hands back to the table. "I knew who she was, but since there was no threat and no idea where the princess was I never trained her. She isn't ready for this." She sighed, reaching up to scratch Star behind his ears. "she, along with you and the other young ones must fight this coming war, I am sorry I didn't prepare her."

They sat in silence for a moment before Star glanced down the hall toward Helen's room.

"go ahead, John…Star. Rest soundly, I fear that morning be dangerous."

Star bowed and lept from the table and trotted down to the soon-to-be-warrior's room and heard her speaking softly.

"where are you? I don't see you." She tossed and turned and as the cover fell from her torso, Star could see the cresent and star glowing faintly, barely enough to cast shadows on the walls. His mark glowed in turn as he jumped onto the bed and nudged Helen's face. She stopped mumbling and wrapped the feline in her arms, snuggling her face in his fur as she curled up into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

Star yawned and buried his face in her hair and the two selpt soundly, even as Elizabeth peeked in and saw two astral beings, one tiger one wolf, watching over the pair with their tails intertwined and heads close.

_I hope for a happier end to this strife than the last and may the past not repeat. She thought, closing the door. She walked back to the table and thought as she finished her coffee, on the events that had come to pass and what may happen in the near future. After putting everything away she went to bed and prayed to Selene, Gia and every other planetary God and Goddess that the her daughter and love would survive what was to come._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

…**.."where are you? I don't see you." She tossed and turned and as the cover fell from her torso, Star could see the crescent and star glowing faintly, barely enough to cast shadows on the walls. His mark glowed in turn as he jumped onto the bed and nudged Helen's face. She stopped mumbling and wrapped the feline in her arms, snuggling her face in his fur as she curled up into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.**

**Star yawned and buried his face in her hair and the two slept soundly, even as Elizabeth peeked in and saw two astral beings, one tiger one wolf, watching over the pair with their tails intertwined and heads close.**

**The morning brought with it a sense of urgency that left Helen fidgety at breakfast. All night she dreamed of the white talking wolf, growing very comfortable with it. The wolf had told her an old story about the Guardians who linked with animal totem in order to use magic to protect princes and princesses. The story was beautiful yet tragic as the wolf recounted the last days of the guardians.**

**The wolf told her that her past life was that of the moon guard which Helen didn't believe until the face of the moon guard as she looking into a calm koi pond. The warrior was her, she was once powerful and graceful and had a purpose yet her mind still argued that she was none of these things.**

**The wolf had sensed all these insecurities and nudged the girl's shoulder. **_**Be brave little one, for you are not alone. You have the Earth Guard, and the others as well as I to help you.**_

**The dream ended there as reality sunk back into her mind. She awoke to Star, still asleep, on her chest with his ears twitching every few second. She stroked his head to gently rouse the feline from his slumber and after stretching and yawning Helen dressed and together they made their way to the dinning room.**

**It was Friday and her mom had Helen's homework laid out, having checked it all the best she could. The woman muttered about new math as she set breakfast down for both of them. **

"**your dad already left for work but said to have a good day." her mom said, taking a seat at the table with her usual coffee. Helen wondered if she should tell her mom about Star talking but was beaten to the punch. "no school for you Star, no matter that you're normal or nit, they won't let her in with you."**

"**huh?" Helen had a spoonful or cereal in her mouth so she couldn't ask her mom right away why she was talking to him.**

"**but what if she needs me?"**

**Helen nearly choked on her cereal.**

"**then you'll go, but until then you're here with me." her mom said, her amused eyes meeting Helen's shocked ones. "you two aren't the only one reincarnated Hun." she said with a smirk, "I'll explain later."**

**Helen just stared and her mom but snapped out of it as the clock struck 6am. The blued girl wolfed down her food, threw on the rest of her outfit, brushed her teeth and her hair and stuffed her books and homework into her backpack and was out the door and speeding to the bus stop by 6:15am.**

**Her mom snickered and looked fondly out the front door. "she certainly has the speed of a wolf, that's for sure."**

**Star watched Helen run down the street unable to shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He walked back to the front door with down cast eyes as his worries flooded his mind.**

"**she'll be fine," he heard Elizabeth's voice say from somewhere above him. "but you," she continued as she scooped the distracted feline up earning a yelp of surprise, "you and I are going to train a bit but first you need a bath." she finished and closed the door tightly and carried the wiggling ball of fur through the house to commence the age old battle of washing a cat.**


	4. Chapter 4

"she'll be fine," he heard Elizabeth's voice say from somewhere above him. "but you," she continued as she scooped the distracted feline up earning a yelp of surprise, "you and I are going to train a bit but first you need a bath." she finished and closed the door tightly and carried the wiggling ball of fur through the house to commence the age old battle of washing a cat.

Chapter 4

Helen walked into the school as she usually did. She never tried to draw attention to herself and stayed under everyone's radar. Her eyes watched her white sneakers on the tile floor, rarely looking up. She put her bag in her locker and grabbed her first and second class books then proceeded to homeroom.

After the clicks greeted each other, which she belonged to none, she sat down at her desk to read as she usually did. The bell rang and attendance was taken. The morning announcements were dull to the blue eyed girl as they pertained to things she didn't participate in. suddenly a new voice passed through the speaker atop the board.

"Hello students," it said. "My name is Ms. Adams and I am your new principle. Mr. Hunt received a promotion and has moved on to better things. I hope you all show lots of spirit and if you need to bare your soul, I'm more than happy to listen. Have a great day!" the speakers went off and the students began taking stabs at the new principle.

"What a dork."

"Bare your souls to me."

"Pushover."

"This is gonna be fun."

Helen sat there as the rowdiness of her classmates faded to a dull hum in her ears. Her body was alive with goose bumps and the hairs on her neck were standing up. _Bare your souls? Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_

The first bell rand and Helen walked to English in a daze, both curious and afraid of what the semester would throw at her.

After finally being clean and dry Star sat across from Elizabeth in a meditative state. The exercise was to help focus energy which would be needed very soon. In his mind's eye, he was in a meadow full of different colored orbs, some flying here and there, others floating lazily as if basking in the sunshine. Also in the meadow was his totem, now much clearer than the first time Star had seen it. Now its white coat blazed in the sun beams as it sat on its haunches watching the orbs. Occasionally it would nod or huff at them as if holding a conversation with them.

_You must listen to the energy around you. _The tiger stated. _The moon girl is strong but still needs your power. Concentrate. _

Star focused, envisioning Helen in front of him_Feel the Earth's energy… Good, now imagine the moon girl in danger and release the energy to her._

Star did as he was told, then opened his eyes. There, within a cloud of hectic orbs, was a beautiful staff. At the top was a crescent moon held up by a winged star, then at the base, a sphere with a mix of green and silver. The staff was about 5 and a half to 6 feet long and on the shaft itself were engravings of all the planetary symbols all of which, minus the crescent moon and the earth symbols, were hollow.

_This is her Universe Staff, for now, you must be with her for her to get and use it because it will drain her energy to be effective and without the other symbols it may kill her. Until the other guards are found and the symbols filled, for her safety, she will only be able to access it through you. _

"Will it hurt me?"

_No, only the moon child, who carries the essence of the Great Wolf, may wield it, only she can release its power. You, young one, are like the glass encasing a precious stone, you keep it safe and for now only through you can it be touched._

Helen's first classes went smoothly, she turned in her homework and wrote her note, occasionally doodling when she got bored. Finally, lunch time came and after getting her tray, she sat down with her book from this morning and picked up where she left off while she nibbled her sandwich.

She could over-hear the preppy girls chattering away about trivial matters such as prom, senior skip day and spring break. One in particular sounded truly concerned about prom but Helen didn't left her head. She knew the voice belonged to a girl in her 6th period class and knew that the girl was very self conscious and high strung. She fretted over the possibility of not having a date or not looking pretty enough.

"why don't you go talk to that new principle? Maybe she can cheer you up." one of her friend said.

"good idea, I'll see you guys later." the girl said and ran out of the cafeteria to the front office. Helen had to move her arm from the back of her chair for a second, lest the girl rammed it and sent her book flying.

_Preps are weird._ Helen thought as she got back into her book.

The rest of 4th and then 5th classes went as the earlier ones and Helen walked toward her 6th period class with thoughts of home, her parents and star. But her musings were cut shirt as she heard the same voices from lunch who were talking to the self conscious one. She looked up to see them standing right by her classroom door and they sounded worried as they asked everyone who walked by if they had seen Tiffany.

_So that was her name._

They apparently hadn't seen her since she left for the office and she wasn't answering their text messages.

Helen thought that odd and her previous feeling of unease from this morning returned full force and then some and settled right in the pit of her stomach.

Upon walking into the classroom, Helen asked the teacher if she could go speak to the principle, she agreed and Helen walked slowly towards the front office.

"hey weirdo… I mean you!"

Helen turned and saw the same girls coming from another room heading to the same class as her. Helen had never been called by her name by them, if ever, but Helen could see the worry in their eyes.

"if you see Tiff, tell her we're worried and hope she's ok."

Helen nodded and gave them a reassuring smile before turning back down the hall, her stomach twisting almost painfully with anxiety and she neared the office, every instinct telling her to turn back or run.

_Here goes nothing and everything._ she thought as she reached for the door handle and turned it.


	5. Chapter 5

Thoughts look like this

-_this_-Helen

-_**this**_-Star

Star sat quietly on Elizabeth's lap while she continued to meditate. It had taken him nearly the whole day in mental commune with his totem learning how to harness his energy and finding out that soon the crystal of Gia would allow him human form if he wished it. until then, however, he was to remain a cat and carry the shards of the Soul Crystal until it was either complete or the original keeper was found.

He was contenet in his knowledge, at least he could be of some help to Helen.

Suddenly, Elizabeth gasped and her whole body went rigid. Her eyes opened but were unfocused as she stared blankly ahead. Star attempted to get her attention but to no avail. After an agonizing minute, she snapped out of her trance-like state, but now her eyes held checked rage which caused Star's hair to bristle and his own to narrow.

"Go to the school, now." she whispered.

Star didn't need to be told twice as he bolted out the front door and down the street. He wasn't sure where Helen's school was and her scent disappeared at the bus stop, but he could feel her spirit and let that guide him.

_whatever you got yourself into, please be safe._ he thought as he raced down streets and past cars as fast as his small legs could go.

Helen walked into the office and asked the receptionist if Tiffany was still there. After being pointed towards the principle's office in the far back corner, the girl felt a weight on her chest and slowly made her way to the door. There were other girls there, but none took notice of her, their eyes were dull and bloodshot and tears fell unchecked down their cheeks.

Helen knelt down next to one of the girls and shook her shoulder gently but the girl didn't respond. She tried another but to no avail and began to lose patience. Helen turned to the principle's door and opened her senses.

She could hear a strange buzzing sound from beyond the wood and what sounded like someone crying. Helen reached for the door only to hear a voice in her head yelling.

_**Don't be stupid, wait for me!**_

_Star? Is that you?_

_**Duh, now let me in.**_

_Front doors?_

_**Yea.**_

Helen walked casually back out of the office and to the front doors of the building. She looked for hall monitors before cracking one of the doors just enough for the feline to squeeze into. After scooping him up and tucking him into her baggy hoodie, she walked to her locker and grabbed her poetry notebook, then walked back into the office.

No one noticed her and she went straight to the principle's door again, but just as her finger tips grazed that door knob, she felt a hand grip her shoulder and steer her out of the office once more, but now toward the counselor's office before Helen could stop the stranger. Star, meanwhile, scurried up to her shoulder to catch a glimpse of his surroundings should his partner need him.

(New Character)

_This_-Scarlet

"_this"_- Chunky

Ms. Scarlet Gant sat at her desk after finishing her paperwork. She was a counselor at Forest Park High and was trying to start a new club for the students. She leaned back in her chair and sighed at the fact that a new club my be pointless, given the students' attitudes. She closed her eyes and meditated a bit.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard a small clatter and noticed a picture frame in the floor next to her desk. She leaned over and picked up the small 8X11 frame and looked at the unfamiliar picture. It consisted of a quaint looking Japanese house with a rock garden and surrounded by lush trees. Near the door of the house was a black puppy who looked to be on guard sitting on his haunches.

"I don't remember this picture." Scarlet muttered, turning the picture over to examine the back. She flipped it back right-ways and noticed something off. The picture itself was the same house, trees and garden, but the puppy …was gone. Scarlet stared at the picture, tilting it this way and that thinking she either imagined it or it was a trick picture, only to nearly jump out of her chair at a high pitched yip of a bark.

She dropped that picture at her feet and saw a set of small back paws step onto it from around the desk. Her eyes lifted up just a bit and saw a small black puppy, just like the one that had been in the picture. It wagged its tail, shaking its whole body, and lifted its head high. From its mouth dangled a silver bracelet with what looked to Scarlet like planetary symbols glittering on it.

The puppy yipped again as Scarlet pushed her chair back and lowered herself to her knees. She reached out her right hand and scratched that puppy behind the ears. After a few seconds of that, it lifted its head and places the bracelet on Scarlet's wrist.

Suddenly, the ends wrapped and clasped snuggly around her wrist and glowed brightly.

Before she could even gasp in surprise, in her mind she saw image after image of people in armor, gowns and suits, beautiful gardens and palaces. she saw 10 young men and women standing next to each other smiling another image of the same kids sitting at desks looking as if listening intently. She saw they were looking at her but when she turned, she saw her reflection in a glass. She was dressed in ancient scholar-like robes with a book in hand.

"_welcome back Lady Scarlet, Keeper of ancient text, you have much to catch up on." _A voice said in her mind. An astral form of a large black dog appeared in her mind's eye and bowed. _"I am the original Keeper of the Soul Crystal. You, my Lady. Were the historian many millennia ago. My nickname was, and I suppose shall remain, Chunky. My reincarnation into this timeline went awry and I am stuck as a puppy." _The large dog, Chunky, huffed irritably. _"I am here to assist the Guardians in their fight to preserve the future and you shall be helping me."_

"Not possible." Scarlet muttered as all the old memories settled into her psyche. "Wow."

"_Are you alright?"_

"How can this be possible?" she stared at the silver bracelet and saw that 2 symbols were aglow, the moon and earth. "Helen and John."

"_Correct. I have another gift for you," _Chunky said. _"Take the picture and place it face down on your desk." _Scarlet gingerly took the picture from under the puppy's paws and did as she was told. _"Now say, Planetary Alert System Initialize."_

"Planetary Alert System Initialize."

"_Now, slowly, lift the picture."_

She did and from the picture, a mobile materialized. Once is was complete, Scarlet set the picture down next to it and admired that intricate little model.

"_With this, you can see if any awakened guardian may need you."_

Before Scarlet could ask how, the small moon next to the earth shimmered and a small wolf appeared within it.

"The Moon Guard." was all she said before rising to her feet and jogging out of her office toward the front office. Her instincts guided her to a girl about to open the principle's door. A mist like aura surrounded the girl. It was silvery blue and at her head it spiked up and looked like large dog or cat ears and behind her was a large flowing tail.

Scarlet took hold of the girl's shoulder and led her out of the office and towards her own. She saw a small black cat ear pop out from the girl's hoodie and she smirked to herself. _at least they are together again. she thought opening her door and ushering the seemingly stunned girl into the confines of her office before closing the door quickly._


End file.
